Megillah, Daf Kaf Daled, Part 6
Introduction
Today’s section opens with a mishnah that describes behavior during tefillot that may be considered heretical, or at least to show that the person acting in such a way identifies with a heretical group.
משנה.
1) האומר איני עובר לפני התיבה בצבועין אף בלבנים לא יעבור.
2) בסנדל איני עובר אף יחף לא יעבור.
3) העושה תפלתו עגולה סכנה ואין בה מצוה.
4) נתנה על מצחו או על פס ידו הרי זו דרך המינות.
5) ציפן זהב ונתנה על בית אונקלי שלו הרי זה דרך החיצונים.
Mishnah
1) If one says, I will not pass before the ark in colored clothes, even in white clothes he may not pass before it.
2) [If one says], I will not pass before it in shoes, even barefoot he may not pass before it.
3) One who makes his tefillin [for the head] round, it is dangerous and has no religious value.
4) If he put them on his forehead or on the palm of his hand, behold this is the way of heresy.
5) If he overlaid them with gold or put [the one for the hand] on his sleeve, behold this is the manner of the outsiders.
Sections one or two: In the first two sections we learn of people who refuse to pass before the ark (to lead the Amidah) either while wearing colored robes or while wearing shoes. The rabbis suspected that one who demanded to wear white clothes or go barefoot may have had heretical beliefs. Therefore, they said that such a person cannot pass before the ark at all, even in white clothes or barefoot. In other words, wearing white clothes and going barefoot seem to have been valid practices but one who insists upon them is suspected of heresy.
We should note that the groups being described here seem to be taking Temple practice and applying it to the synagogue. In the Temple the priests robes were white and they went barefoot. The mishnah may be trying to emphasize that the synagogue is not the Temple and one who insists on dressing in the synagogue as if it were the Temple is potentially a heretic. There also may be a covert battle for leadership in this mishnah between priests and rabbis. Rabbis may be telling priests that when in the synagogue leading the Amidah (as opposed to reciting the priestly blessing) they are functioning as regular Jews and not as priests.
Section three: The boxes of tefillin are supposed to be square. Our mishnah deals with a period of oppression when the Romans prohibited Jews from wearing tefillin. In response someone makes his tefillin round so that the Romans will not notice that he is wearing tefillin. According to the mishnah this attempt is doubly mistaken. The Romans will realize that he is wearing tefillin and therefore it is still dangerous. Secondly, by making his tefillin round he is not fulfilling the mitzvah of tefillin. There is also the idea that tefillin can protect a person from danger. But since these tefillin are not valid they offer no protection from the Roman oppressors.
Section four: The Torah says that you should place tefillin as a sign upon your hand and as a remembrance between your eyes. Non-rabbinic groups of Jews (sectarians) interpreted these verses literally; tefillin are put on one s hands and on the forehead between one s eyes. The rabbis did not interpret the verses literally tefillin go on top of one s head, where the hairline ends, and on one s arms, next to one s heart. A person who wears his tefillin between the eyes or on the hand is acting as a heretic. I should note that I have seen many, many instances of people wearing their tefillin to low on their heads. One who wears tefillin between his eyes has not fulfilled his obligation.
Section five: Covering tefillin in gold or wearing them on one s sleeves is not proper fulfillment of the mitzvah. The mishnah deems this as the practice of outsiders those who have separated from the rabbinic fold.
גמרא. מאי טעמא? חיישינן שמא מינות נזרקה בו.
GEMARA. What is the reason [why he must not act as reader]? We suspect that some heresy has been put into him.
As I explained in my commentary above, one who acts in such a way is suspected of heresy. However, the Talmud does not identify at all what the particular form of heresy is. In any case, one suspected of heresy cannot serve as a shaliah tzibbur.
העושה תפלתו עגולה סכנה ואין בה מצוה, לימא תנינא להא דתנו רבנן: תפלין מרובעות הלכה למשה מסיני. ואמר רבא: בתפרן ובאלכסונן. אמר רב פפא: מתניתין דעבידא כי אמגוזא.
One who makes his tefillin [for the head] round, it is dangerous and has no religious value.
Shall we say that that we have already taught this, as our Rabbis taught: [The obligation for] tefillin to be square is a law set down by Moses at Sinai.
And Rava explained [this refers] to their stitching and their diagonal.
R. Papa said: The Mishnah is speaking only of those which are made as round as a nut.
The Mishnah says that one who makes his tefillin round has not fulfilled his mitzvah, and moreover, that this is a dangerous practice. The Talmud notes that we have already learned this in another baraita, which states that the halakhah that tefillin must be square goes all the way back to Moses. Rava adds that when the bottom is stitched, it should remain square, as should the diagonal across the box.
R. Papa resolves that our Mishnah referred to really round tefillin, like the shape of a nut. The other mishnah referred to tefillin that were not quite as round. In either case, the tefillin are disqualified.